Free French Forces

The Free French Forces were the armed forces of Free France, led by Charles de Gaulle during World War II. The Free French consisted of French Army troops who had escaped to the United Kingdom after the battle of France in 1940 in addition to French forces in North Africa and abroad; many fighters came from Morocco, Algeria, and Spain in addition to France itself. The Free French assisted the British Army in taking over Vichy France's colonies in Syria, Lebanon, Gabon, and North Africa during the war, and their expeditionary forces served under the British during the invasions of Italy and France in 1943 and 1944. After the 25 August 1944 liberation of Paris (which the Free French general Philippe Leclerc had led), the Free French Forces became the new French Army, and men like De Gaulle would become the new leaders of a liberated France.